A NOBLE EPITAPH

JEREMIAH 22:1

A. "HE JUDGED THE CAUSE OF THE POOR AND NEEDY; THEN IT WAS WELL WITH HIM, WAS NOT THIS TO KNOW ME, SAITH THE LORD
  1. The context of our text shows that the prophet:
    1. Is speaking of Josiah, King of Judah, who's reign was peaceful and prosperous
    2. He sought to reform the nation, bring them back to God
    3. He restored the Passover - 2 Chron. 35:1
  2. But his son did not walk in the ways of his father; he did evil before the Lord:
    1. They were taken into the captivity of Babylon - 2 Chron. 36:1-7
    2. It was during the days when Jeremiah went to Egypt with the remnant of his people B. THE BURDEN OF MY MESSAGE CONCERNS ITSELF WITH THE TITLE OF OUR SUBJECT - A NOBLE EPITAPH
  3. The highest type of human service is the humane:
    1. "He judged the cause of the poor and needy"
    2. Jeremiah felt that he could pronounce upon Josiah no higher eulogy
    3. The cause of the poor and needy was of great importance of God; Examples: God charged the leaders of Israel with disregarding the cause of the poor and needy - Jer. 5:28; Job, on the other hand could say, "I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him. The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me" - Job 29:12-18
  4. Experience shows:
    1. That the spirit of helpfulness is more admirable than the attainment of any measure worldly power and glory give
    2. The spirit of kindness is greater than genius
    3. Again, a gracious goodness is something more than formal righteousness - "For scarcely for a righteous an will one die; peradventure, for the good man some one would even dare to die" - Rom. 5:7
  5. The humane spirit is the condition of personal and national welfare:
    1. "Did not thy father eat and drink, and do judgment and justice? Then it was well with him" - Jer. 22:15
    2. Human persons never lose any blessings, "Cast thy bread upon the waters; for thou shalt find it after many days" - Eccl. 11:1
    3. "Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink" - Rom. 12:20 C. WHAT AN EPITAPH FOR ANYONE'S LIFE
  6. The humane spirit is the mark of true greatness:
    1. Abraham Lincoln was never greater than when he said, "Charity to all"
    2. He never performed a nobler deed than when he, out of compassion, gave a father to his daughter, when said the father was about to be executed
  7. To be truly human is the mark of a true Christian:
    1. "Blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy" - Matt. 5:7 - Examples: Think of the good Samaritan - Luke 10:30-37 or consider the parable of a certain rich man and his debtors - Matt. 18:26-27; we do remember David's attitude toward Mephibosheth, Saul's son - 2 Sam. 9:10-11
    2. That was one of the graces the Son of God dispensed so freely when He walked among men; the message that He sent to John who was discouraged was, "The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear" - Matt. 11:5
    3. And when God will give each of us our reward, he will do so by mentioning our human attitude toward others, "I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; Naked, and ye clothed me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me" - Matt. 25:3-36
  8. How different will the verdict be for those who profess to be God's children, and yet their epitaph reads:
    1. "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels"
    2. "For I was an hungered and ye gave me no meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink; I was a stranger and ye took me not in; naked and ye clothed me not, sick and in prison and ye visited me not"


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